"That character is not based on him."
On Thursday, July 16, 2026, Aamir Khan attended the BFI London Indian Film Festival.
The Bollywood superstar graced the occasion to mark the 25th anniversary of his Oscar-nominated film Lagaan (2001).
During the interaction, Aamir spoke about his life and game-changing career.
However, the actor also addressed the controversy surrounding the Indian scientist, Sonam Wangchuk.
Wangchuck, an activist and educationist, has been on a hunger strike and has lost over 9 kg.
Omi Vaidya, famous for playing Chatur Ramalingam in Aamir’s 3 Idiots (2009), recently released a statement on the matter.
Meanwhile, the rest of the film’s team was criticised for their silence on the issue.
In his video, Omi said: “Did you know that Phunsukh Wangdu, the character that Aamir Khan plays, is based on Sonam Wangchuk?
“He has done some incredible stuff in his life, and he seems pretty humble.
“Why he is on a hunger strike? Well, he has some issues with the education system in India.
“Whether you agree with him or not, I don’t really want this guy to die.
“If you really care, you can even reach out to your government officials and tell them that something needs to be done.
“These things matter.”
While answering questions from fans at the London event, Aamir Khan was asked what he thought of Wangchuk’s hunger strike.
He answered: “I saw Chatur’s video, and he said that the character in 3 Idiots is based on Mr Wangchuk.
“Chatur is wrong. That character is not based on him.
“But that doesn’t take away from all the great things Mr Wangchuk has done.”
Aamir continued to state that he is hoping for Wangchuk’s good health and recovery.
3 Idiots was directed by Rajkumar Hirani and was a mega-blockbuster when it was released.
The film is based on Chetan Bhagat’s 2004 novel, Five Point Someone.
3 Idiots also starred R Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Boman Irani.
A sequel to the film is currently in development.
During his BFI interview, Aamir Khan also spoke about how the film audience has become a distracted audience due to the creation of smartphones.
Fans also saw clips from his films, including Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992), Lagaan, Taare Zameen Par (2007), and Dangal (2016).
Some of the British cast from Lagaan, including Paul Blackthorne (Capt. Andrew Russell), also attended the event.
Aamir was also asked about his future acting projects.
He said: “I don’t know if I’m allowed to tell you, but I’ll be starting a film from November. We will announce it very soon.”
According to reports, however, Aamir is set to reunite with his Lagaan director, Ashutosh Gowariker, for a sports film titled Lalkaar.
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